One for the Creative Industry
Last year wasn’t ideal, for so many reasons. I won’t chat on about it, but I’m really grateful for where I live and everything that’s been done to ease the impact here.
For me work-wise, all of the world worry and cancellations lead to paralysation in terms of producing work (and therefore, making money), both from losing bookings due to regulations and also not feeling like my personal projects were meaningful in light of the big picture.
I’ve collected a few of my favourite resources to help anyone who feels the same. Maybe even just to help us move through the work weirdness on this one.
First up, podcasts:
How I Built This with Guy Raz.
This one isn’t new, but the takeaway is it’s great for remembering that business is never linear and that effective problem solving is one of the greatest assets a business can have. There’s 100’s of episodes full of inspiration to learn and grow and build resilience when required. It’s also nice to listen to other people tell their stories to give yourself a break from hearing your own.
The Contact Sheet by Kyle McDougall.
This one is photography specific, but serves everyone in terms of what the artists that he interviews have to say. Kyle’s a lovely guy living between the worlds of digital and film. The takeaway: he talks about everything from deciding on a project’s direction to making rent.
Books:
‘The Practice' by Seth Godin.
I’ve only recently been introduced to Seth Godin’s Kingdom, but he’s a light at the end of a few tunnels for sure. I’m currently listening to The Practice via audiobook and so far it’s a hit. The takeaway: So many pull quotes aimed at those in the creative industry. A favourite being ‘Experiencing imposter syndrome shows that you’re a well adjusted human.’ Phew, what a relief.
‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Yeah, I’m recommending a book by the author behind 'Eat, Pray, Love’ and I’m not embarrassed. ‘Big Magic’ is her explanation of the creative journey, bumps included. She writes candidly about living up to exceedingly high expectations (her first book was a global hit, but left a big pressure high), career peaking and never really being ready. While it leans into Woo territory just enough to feel ethereal, it never actually jumps the fence and she keeps everything refreshingly light and palatable. There’s also a spinoff podcast by the same name where she interviews other creatives (non-famous ones too) and mentors them through stuck points. The Takeaway: ‘Who better qualified to tell the story that you feel connected to?’.
Special Mention:
Milanote:
This one’s a moodboarding App for planning and productivity for visual people. This is where I plan anything from client projects to a shift I want to make in the aesthetic of my work over longer periods of time. Even if some of those ideas don’t make it into the final edit, or don’t get made this year, they’re saved for future reference. The takeaway: It’s better than my over-caffeinated mind at keeping track of my thought processes and it has checklists with tick boxes. So satisfying.
Personal ideas:
Focus on connection:
Focusing on connection allows you to move your mind away from expectations, worries and road blocks. Having a plan is great, but I generally find that aiming to improve the experience for your clients usually results in better work.
Steer clear of Instagram if you’re in a creative rut:
As creatives we should all want to support our industries by building originality. That said, if you’re in the throws of a creative rut, my go to move is to look at different mediums for inspiration - scan Netflix for interesting cinematography, read books that light up your imagination, go outside. Please don’t jump on instagram, because on one hand it can let the comparison monster out and on the other, it may cause you to make bad trend driven decisions in desperate times. Just a quick reminder, copying someone else’s work is not the greatest form of flattery, I don’t care what your mum says. Its disrespectful and 2021 ain’t having any.
Cool, I needed this. Hope it helps!
Wedding Planning Tips
For most, the lead up to their wedding day is a whirlwind of planning and decision making of huge proportions, and the whole process can seem pretty daunting when the expectation is for it all to magically fall in to place on the big day. Hot tip, it usually does go to plan and the bits that don’t, fall by the way side and are forgotten by the day’s end (or make great stories).
While I can’t alleviate all of your wedding stresses, I can tell you what to expect photography wise and give you a couple of cheats to help things go smoothly!
First up…
Don’t take any of it too seriously. I know it’s a huge day, but it’s your wedding day, not your marriage. It’s a celebration of you and your partner and should feel like that. Try not to fret about timing - the wedding can’t start without you both and no one else will be clock watching, so let it happen.
Personalise your wedding for you and your partner as much as possible. Have your dog involved in the ceremony, have your guests seated in a circle around you, have your Gran read a poem, whatever makes it special for you, there really are no rules. I recommend only doing the traditional bits that fit well with you and that you know you’ll care about after the day is over and/or in 20 years time. Don’t fill the day with the ones that won’t matter to you. You can do any of it however you like, the whole day is yours.
While many couples stick to a traditional run sheet, you can either spice that up or pare it down depending on your priorities. Some couples prefer to have a first look and/or shoot their bridal party portraits prior to the ceremony, so that one - they get that first look moment to themselves and two, once they’ve tied the knot it’s all about them and their guests - they don’t have to leave everyone to their own devices (and the bar tab) for a couple of hours to get the shots. This way, your ceremony can be later in the day, your guests will feel more included and you’ll get to spend a minute or two with your partner.
I recommend putting together a mood board that encompasses the stuff you’d love to have in your day. Might sound a bit cheese, but this will keep all your ideas together and help to focus your aesthetic, colour scheme, vibe and photography expectations into something that you can break down and plan out. Share this board with your bridal party, photographer, make-up artist/hairdresser/barber, videographer, florist and wedding planner (if you have one). This helps to get everyone on the same page with the click of a button.
Make sure you clear away any unnecessary items that may clutter the photos of you and your partner getting ready, at the ceremony or the reception. Choose a spot for people to put their handbags, coats etc where they won’t be interrupting shots. Less is so much more in situations like this.
Be prepared for any weather. Some couples choose to bring clear or parasol style umbrellas on the day, so that their photos can still be taken outside and they can make the most of whatever weather the day throws at them. Winter weddings are epic and often have more date flexibility - as it’s generally considered the off season.
Delegate someone to round up your family members for family photos so that you don’t have to. It is best if it is someone that knows your family by name, often the MC is a great person for this (or someone with a loud voice). A list of who you would like to have photos together can also be helpful if you have a big family or are super popular.
If you’re nervous about having your photo taken or about showing affection in public, practice doing this with your partner, make jokes or egg out with them on the day - there’s no judgement here. Sounds crazy, but it’s worthwhile and can spare you feeling nervous on the day. I won’t pose you like your ball photos, but I will ask you to move a hand or to get a little closer and share a kiss here and there. I love the photos to be as much about you as they can be and you feeling comfortable is a huge part of that.
Chat to your celebrant about asking your guests to put their phones, tablets and cameras away for the ceremony. You want them to be there with you. And I’ll send you a handful of photos the day after your wedding so that you can share everything with them.
This is a big one - ask your celebrant to stand to the side during your ceremony (or at least during your kiss). There’s nothing weirder than a celebrant standing between you two when you share that moment.
The most photo-friendly light will depend on the season, but as a general rule, I recommend steering clear of planning your ceremony and/or bridal portrait times for midday (or even between 11am + 2pm in summer) if it can be avoided. The angle of the sun at this time makes harsh shadows and just isn’t the most flattering. The same can be said for altar placement (if you’re having one) - you want the light to be to either your left or right, but not directly behind or directly in front of you to avoid feeling too squinty.
And that’s it! The main takeaway being that the day is yours to enjoy. Do it however you want, the more personal to you it is, the better.
Time Frames for Your Wedding Day
Knowing how and when to have things happen on your wedding day can make it easier to break down into plannable pieces. That said though, you can do whatever works for you and use the following info as a very moveable guide. In my experience, weddings don’t run perfectly on time because there are so many people involved so it’s best to just go with it, there’s no way it can start without you.
Here’s an example of how your run sheet may look:
10.00am - 1.30pm ~ Getting ready (this changes depending on how many people are getting their hair and make up done, your make up artist/hairdresser/barber can give you an estimate on how long this will take). We usually don’t start taking photos of you until you’re almost ready, maybe an hour and a half before the ceremony, but we grab all the details (rings, bouquets, bridal party gifts, etc prior to this). We can arrive at any point during this time frame, so let us know what you would prefer.
2.00pm - 2.30pm ~ Leave for the ceremony (this depends on how long it takes to get from the prep location to the ceremony location, most brides arrive 5-10mins after the allocated ceremony start time to allow late guests to get to their seats).
3.00pm ~ Ceremony.
3.30pm ~ Family, friends + group photos.
4.00pm ~ Bridal party + newlywed portraits wherever you like. (We usually ask you to allow an hour to an hour + a half for this, it sounds like a lot, but it goes pretty quick. There’s often a spare half an hour of padding in here just for peace of mind. It also pays to have some food available for yourselves during this time, picnics are pretty photogenic, but it’s really up to you what you would like). You can choose what you would like your guests to do at this point.
6.00pm ~ Reception starts.
6.30pm - 7.30 pm ~ Dinner / speeches.
8.00pm ~ Cake cutting.
8.30pm ~ Dessert/speeches.
9.00pm ~ First dance.
Alternatively, you and your partner can share a first look and your couple photos prior to the ceremony and push the ceremony back to 4.00-4.30pm. This is great in summer as it’ll be a little cooler by this time and means that after the ceremony and family/group photos, you don’t have to leave your guests for a number of hours while they drink your bar tab. Again, do it your way, whatever that looks like.